Drag link



viii y s t i HARRY B. GAQRMAN, or DETROIT, MLQHIGAN, Assreivoa To, THE STEEL PRODUCTS ;f.. COMPANY, OF oLEvnLAni,v Omo, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

bRAG LINK.

-ifiieiea #Appiication ined August ysa,

citizen of' the United States, resident ot Detroit, county of 'VVayne, and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Iin )rovements in Dranr Links' (Case D jot b 5 1 which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention .being herein explained and the best mode in which I have l as a partof the steering mechanism lof automobiles, and particularly to vapparatus of this character 'of a weldless-type. The objects oi' the invention areto design a draglink of uniform thickness of metal, light 'and cheap to manufacture, which cannot be shaken oit or cannot drop. on? thejconnecting" arm, and of a construction "by which the same link can be assembled either, on a right or left hand drive car` The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain means embodying my l invention, the disclosed means, however, constituting but oneor` the various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings Figure 1 represents a plan View of. frag? mentary portions of the chassis of an automobile, showing my'impr'oved dragelink in .relation to the steering and axle arms,` and also showing the possil'iilities` of usingr the saine link for either a right or left-hand drive car;`

Figurerepresents a broken plan View 'of my improved drag link, partly in sec` tion;

Figure 3 represents a side elevation, `taken from the plane indica-ted by the line III- III, Figure 2, of the socket of my. improved link. Within .which the ball ofthe steering crank arm is journaled;V

Figure 4 represents anV end View of the socket shown in Figure 8, taken from the elevation indicated bythe linel 11T-IV, Figure 3;

-Figure 5 represents a plan View of the socket of my improved drag link, within Which-the ball ofthe arm. connected with the running wheels is journaled;

Figure `6. represents an end view of the socket shown in Figure 5, takenV from the plane indicated by the/line VIA-"VI, Figure Specification of Letters Patent.

g5; Figure 7 Be it known that I, HARRT B. GARMAN, a

.ing part of invention, the

Patented May 16, 1922. i921. serial No. 489,364.,

of an intermediate .tubular member forinf v my improved drag link; '.liigure 8 represents anf end view of the intermediate member shown in Figure 7 e Figure 9 represents i I proved bearing block forming part of my same being Amanufactured by a new and improved process not included in the:subject-matterclaimed in this application; and

F igure'l() represents a side elevation of said bearing block. 'Referring to the annexed drawings, in which the sameparts are indicated by the ysame ordinals in the several views, an inA termediate member of my improved drag link isindicated by the ordinal 1, the same being, in the form ef device illustrated, made from standard seamless steel tubing. This tubing element is formed on both ends with a flange Q'iip'set, this flange having drilled therethrough the holes 3. Removably se# curedto said intermediate tubular element .-lfare end sockets 4 and 5 Whose open ends communicate with the 'tube l', and whose outer ends 4f and 5', respec tively,\are closed `and formed ofmetal continuous with 'the walls of the socket. These sockets 4 and 5 are stamped from hot-rolled -annealed and pickled lstrip steel, and have inner end anges and 7 respectively, through which are drilled the holes 8 and 9 respectively,

'adaptedV to register with the tube holes 3,

whereby,.by1I means of the bolts 10 'the intermediate tube 1 and sockets Ltand 5-are removably secured together to form the complete casing of` the link.

` i The sockets 4 and 5 are `formed with eX- tended slots 11 and l2respectively, open at their inner `endsyproviding for the'lateral shifting of the connecting varms hereinafter described. These 'connecting arms are,.rev spectively, the steering crank arm 13 and a connection 14 with the running wheels.

" These arms'areformed at their inner ends with balls 15 and 16,'which are journaled in the sockets 4 and 5f. The Width' of the extended slots lland l2 is less than the diameter vof the adjacent balls 15 and 16, so that .there is no chance for the drag-link to drop oli' the4 ball arm.l The balls 15 and 16 are journaled in improved blocks 18, as plainly shown in Figure 2, these blockshaving bearing surfaces 19 and Oppositely disposed sub- `represents abroken plan view.'-

a plan view-of an imsta-ntially similar convex projections 20, plainly shown in Figure 10.` A new and improved method ot making lthese blocks 18 forms' the subject-matter of my come ,panion application', Serial "SVO".Y vr489,365, tiled August 2, 1921. As is usual in constructions of' this nature, springs 21 are provided, the same beingmade from round spring steel in the usual way, and disposed, respectively, between the closed end of the socket 4 and a bearing block 18 adjacent the ball 15 in the case of the Steering crank arm of the link,

and, in the caseof the axle ball arm of the l the wall vof the socket or intermediate tubular` member against which the bearing abutted, insofar as the closed end of the socket was concerned. In Figure 2, ins'o far as socket 5 is concerned, this wall is the outer end 5 of the socket 5. I have provided direct passage forthe lubricant` through this bearing by means of formingahole 23 through dand centrally of the bearing, which hole 23 ter- 'minates in a channel 24`formed in the bearing surface 19. Insofar as thebearing intermediate a. ball 15 or'16 and the spring 21` is concerned, I have also formed the same with a hole 23 communicating with a: channel 25 formed in the 'bearing surface 19 and lying in 'a plane substantiaily at right angles to the plane containing the channel 24. |Ihe yeo .relative right angular arrangement of the channels 24 and 25 serve best to lubricate the entire surface of the balls 15 and 16. Although the bearing' 18, upon either end of the drag-link, which is adjacent the spring 21, is spaced from the socket 4 or 5 so to `leave a small clearance area, 26 through which'grease would be forced or would seep, this bearing is also shown formed with the hole 23.and the channel 25 because I thereby obviate the Ynecessity of manufacturing two forms of bearings, the bearing with the channel' 25 being identical with lthe bearing 18 having the channel 24, but turned through an angle to bring the channel in a plane at an angle to the channel' in the opposed bear;`

ing, preferably, an angle of 90", insofar as the first assembly is concerned.

One of the important advantagesof my v design of. weldless drag-linkconsists in the fact that the same link canl be used? eitherfor a right or left hand' drive car. This' is plainly illustrated in. Figure l, wherein` iguales the link is shown in its rel: non to the steering arm and the axle arm lthe hassis. In full lines is shown the assembly or the left y hand drive. A In dotted lines is indicated Vthe assembly for right hand drive. wThe link A can be used for the positionB simply by removing the socket 4 from' the adjacent end of the tube 1 and turning the socket and its associated steering arm connection through 180 degrees, whereby relations will be such as to allow theassembly indicated by B, Figurel. y.

I wish particularly to point out that by means of a weldless link assembled as described, I eliminate the weakness] occasioned by the large drillholes thro-ugh which steering and'laxle arm balls are inserted in the welded orone-piece type link and, also, that my weldless type provides a socket shorter from the center of' the ball to the end ot the so'cket, because of the elimination oi' the usual end plug in the welded or one piece link. Therefore, when the link is used as a cross-tube or tie-rod, more clearance is givenv for the Vgrease-cups '22. That I claim is: i y

1. In a weldless type draglink, the combination of an intermediate member an end socket removably secured thereto; a member secured to the other end of said intermediate member; a connecting member secured to said last-mentioned end member; and a second connecting member journaled in and secured to said socket, the latter being formed with an extended slot open at its inner end and providing for 'the lateral shifting of its connecting member.

2. In a. weldless type drag link, the combination of an intermediate member having a flange at one end; a socket secured thereto 105 by means of a. co-operating flange; a member secured to the other end of said intermediate member; a connecting member secured tol said last-mentioned end member; and a second connecting member journaled in and 110 secured to said socket, the latter being formed with an extended slot open at its inner end and providing for the lateral shifting of its connecting member. l

3, In a weldless. type-.drag link, the combination of an intermediate member having a flange at one end; a socket secured thereto by means of ai co-operating flange; a member secured to the other end of said intermediate member; a connecting member secured` to saidl last-mentioned end member;

and a` steering crank arm having a ball journaled in saidv socket, the latter being formed with an extended 'slot open at its inner end yand of a width less than the diameter of the crank arm ball.

4. In a weldless` type drag link, the combination of a tubular intermediate member; a socket whose open end communicates with one end of saidY intermediate member, the

kouter end of saidisocket beingfclosed and the other end of said tubular member; a connecting member secured lto said last-mentioned end member; and a second connecting member journaled4 in and secured to said socket; the latter being formed With an eXn tended slot open at its inner end and providing for the lateral shifting of its connecting member. v

V5. In a yveldless type drag link, the combination of a tubular intermediate member; sockets Whose open ends, respectively communicate with the endsof said intermediate member, the outer ends of said sockets'being closed and formed of one piece with the walls thereof, said sockets being secured to Said tubular member by means of co-operating flanges on said sockets and` said member; a 'steering crank arm and an element connected with the running Wheels having balls, respectively, journaled in said sockets, the latter being formedrespectively, With extended slots open at their inner ends and of a Width lessthan the diameter of the adjacent bai'l.

' 6. A drag link comprising, a tubular body member having a relatively Wide outturned Lflange of the socket m flange at one end thereof; a socket member comprising a short piece ofntubing having an outturned flange at the inner end thereof; and means for detachably securing the v embervto the flange of the body member. f

7. A drag link comprising, a tubular body member having a, relatively Wide outturned flange at one end thereof; a Vcylindrical socket member of greater diameter than said body member, the outer end 'of said socket member being closed and the inner end thereof `being provided With outturned flanges; and means for detachably securing of the body member;

vthe fiange of the socket member to the flange 8. A drag link comprising, a body mem-v ber; and a cup shaped one plece end socket member having its closed end outermost and its open inner lend "detachably secured to the end of said intermediate member. 9. A drag link comp-rising, anlintermediyate member; and cup shaped one piece end socket members having their closed ends outermost and their innen open ends detachably secured to' the ends of said intermediate member, thelclose'd ends of said socket members being tapped to receive grease cups.

Signed by me this 13th day of May, 1921.

HARRY B. GARMAN. 

